Cousin Itt's Backside..

Thought of the Day: I believe we (society) give hair power. Like any other inequity there are the haves and the have nots... Let's flip the script and put power where it belongs - at OUR roots (pun intended) let us be what we are supposed to be...This is more than hair - it's a movement.

Get on this blog train ya'll - keep reading!! :)

I never thought I was going to go natural until tragedy stuck....well in my mind it was tragedy.  Isn't it insane how hair is so powerful!!  The stigma out there -especially in regards to Black women and the length and texture of our hair- was still such a motivating factor in how I wanted my hair to look prior to going natural. 

AnyWHOoo - I was going through a stressful time in my life.  I just moved to Chicago with my friend Laura...FUN, RIGHT?!!  If you have money! I just started grad school at Loyola and was POOR as a dirt floor.   I was working retail - never again ( no offense, just not my cup of tea) and trying to make ends meet.  I guess my stress was physical.  My hair started to fall out. REALLY - I mean damnnnnnn.  My skin was acting crazy (maybe I should say crazier - but we will talk about this later) and I felt like I had an ulcer!  It turned into a STUPID-sick cycle.  Now, still stressing over school and life, I started stressing about my hair falling out which  only made it worse!!

I never thought I was pretty (still working on this), but because my hair was never that short and was semi-thick, I could handle looking at myself in the mirror.  I know...PSYCHO...really the thought of going natural was a last resort because my hair situation was only worsening.  I thought being natural would enhance my uglyness because my hair would be "nappy" ( I hate the word nappy -we'll go in to this later too... ) and short... But what could I do??? My hair was falling out - small to medium sized chunks...I couldn't keep relaxing my hair and using tons of heat.  I wask killing my hair by trying to keep all the kinks, curls, and naps from beading up!  If I only new what freedom those kinks, curls, and naps would give.  But yes, C.H.U.N.K.sssss...were fleeing my scalp...just gone.  My bathroom floor looked like Cousin Itt's backside... I think that's what it took to finally get me free!  Yup, Cousin Itt's backside....

It's always tragedy that motivates people - I guess not always - but contentment is so evil and so prevalent now a days - I mean why is everything "okay" when it's not...I mean other than hair...our society is EeeFFED UP...I digress.  :)  I guess if my hair didn't start falling out I would have never transitioned, because my defition of beauty was so narrowly defined.  My definition mirrored that of Hollywood...so lame, SO friggin lame.  I guess it's getting better (as you see more natural hair as the best friend in White tv comedies or the one Black woman in the cell phone comercial and/or birth control ad) but really...I can now say I'm grateful for losing chunks of my hair...hahah!  I NEVER would of thought....

And SOOO it began...not only my journey to "naturalness" - but my journey in discovering how not to be content - discovering beauty and all kinds of other Ishhhhhh that has made me a better woman...I'm SOOO corny...You know you love it...I want to share my journey and my thoughts with you, and DAYYYUMMM it, I want people to read it...!! :)

Peace and Fried Chitlins... :) I dunno, it just sounded right.